Vehicle door dovetail or supporting device



Sept. 10,- 1935. A. B. ELLERY VEHICDE DOOR DOVETAIL OR SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 26, 1952 INVENTOR Aflhur B. Eflen ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE DOOR DOVETAIL OR SUPPORTING DEVICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to dovetails or interengaging door-supporting members for vehicle doors to prevent sagging and rattling.

I-Ieretofore, these devices have comprised a 5 female member secured to the door jamb and having a notch or socket therein and a male member or lug secured to the door for engaging in said notch when the door is closed, these members usually being arranged just below the door latch. The female member usually comprises a housing in which is located a metal part or parts defining the notch or socket into which the usual metal male member or lug fits, the metal parts being lubricated by oil or grease.

Ihe motorist frequently neglects to oil or grease these parts, causing the parts to stick and causing squeaks. When he does oil or grease the same, the excess oil or grease frequently rubs off onto the clothing brushing past the door as one enters or leaves the automobile.

The general purpose of the invention is to provide an improved female member for door dovetails or holders whereby the defects referred to above are overcome, the female member receiving and holding a quantity of lubricant over a long period of time and without danger of soiling clothing.

Particularly the invention has for its object the provision of means defining the socket made of comparatively hard wear-resisting and more or less porous or cellular material such as wood to absorb and retain a lubricant, the socket or notch preferably being defined by two pieces of said material resiliently mounted and preferably having associated therewith a highly absorbent pad of softer material such as cotton batting or the like.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention are attained in the door holder or dovetail construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described below. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular form thereof shown and described.

Of the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is an outer elevation, partly broken away and in section, of a vehicle door in closed position showing the improved dovetail construction;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the door jamb showing the improved female member thereon;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l designates the car door on the outer side edge of which is secured the usual male member or lug H and the numeral l2 represents the door jamb. In the door jamb there is secured in the usual Way a housing E3, the outer face of which is notched as at lei for passage of the lug l l into the housing as the door is shut. In the housing I3 at 5 each side of the notch 54, there is arranged a wooden block I5 of rounded tapering formation toward their outer ends as at if so that the blocks will be engaged and wedged apart slightly by the entering lug which is preferably tapered toward its inner or leading end, the leading end of which is preferably rounded as at ll whereby the parts pass smoothly into wedged relation with each other.

In back of each block there is preferably arranged yielding means such as a soft rubber sheet is for yieldingly resisting wedging of blocks 15 apart to exert a yielding gripping action on the lug l I to prevent rattling. Inwardly of the inner ends of the blocks there is preferably clamped a pad it of soft absorbent material such as absorbent cotton, this pad projecting as at l9 between the inner ends of the blocks. To assist in retaining the blocks in place, marginal portions of the housing may be bent inwardly slightly over the outer ends of the blocks as indicated at 29, 29.

When the above-described female member is lubricated, the lubricant will be absorbed and retained to considerable extent by the pad !9 and also will be absorbed more or less into the surfaces of the blocks E5. As the door is repeatedly opened and shut the lubricant is also rubbed into the wedging or wearing surfaces of the blocks [5 by the lug H. The device requires very infrequent lubrications and so absorbs the lubricant as to prevent its being rubbed off onto the clothing.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. A vehicle door dovetail or supporting device comprising a female member including a pair of wooden blocks spaced apart and having inwardly converging faces to receive a male member in wedging relationship therebetween, means for yieldingly supporting said blocks from the sides thereof opposite said converging faces, and an absorbent pad associated with said blocks.

2. A vehicle door dovetail or supporting device comprising a female member including a pair of separate wooden blocks spaced apart and having inwardly converging faces to engage a male member in wedging relationship therebetween, and means for resisting spreading of the blocks by yieldingly supporting each of said blocks from the sides thereof opposite said converging faces.

3. A vehicle door dovetail or supporting device comprising a female member including a pair of 5 Wooden blocks spaced apart to receive a male member in wedging relationship therebetween,

and an absorbent pad associated with said blocks whereby a male member is movable into contact with said absorbent pad as it engages between said blocks to pick up and distribute lubricant over the faces of the blocks.

ARTHUR B. ELLERY. 

